Rediscovering You
by holeyearmuffins
Summary: What would you do if a computer controlled your life?
1. In which Mikan discovers herself

**December 21, 2012**

"_Enter_."

A precise line of eighteen year olds with the same epidermis color and corpus filed into room 333. Inside, a glass-domed roof served as the room's only barrier from the toxic air outside, and rows upon rows of ellipse-shaped containers covered the floors of the expansive space. Each one had a number written on it and each one was exactly three feet away from the other objects like it. Wires were attached to these, trailing along the floor in perfect parallel order. Never crossing, never out of line. A drawn out, pneumatic hiss echoed throughout the insulated room as the capsules' glass coverings slid down simultaneously.

One by one, the identical humans entered their designated pod. When the last of them entered, the glass covers sealed shut and the seats slid forward in unison to accommodate the newly added mass. Every body present was now laying down inside the containers with the same blank face they bore since infancy. A digitally enhanced voice spoke exactly three seconds after.

"Under the Kuonji Act, all eligible persons must enter and complete their mission in order to become a full citizen. The mission: to discover your characters' quests and to complete them within one year. Remember that whatever happens to your character, happens to you. After you have completed your mission, you will be granted full citizenship and your character will become permanent. A sedative will soon be administered in three seconds. Welcome to Alternate Reality."

And so, in exactly three seconds, the almighty President Kuonji set in motion his own undoing.

A figure floated in the middle of an inky, never ending, black abyss and said dully, "Number 110507."

Columns and streams of blinding white digits appeared everywhere while a popup with the picture of a slot machine materialized in front of the figure; the words 'Creating character...' typed above the image. It pressed the 'Stop' button with its index finger and waited for the inevitable.

When it did happen, the figure's brain registered only pain. Overwhelmingly horrific pain swept through its body in waves and eternal infernos, beginning from the figure's legs and slowly burning its way up with icy hot tendrils, causing the figure to collapse and writhe in grotesque poses. Endless shrieks of agony erupted from its throat as its body warped and filled out into a slender, lean one and its face structure morphed into a feminine heart shape. A pressure built with raging intensity behind her eyes while she clawed at her shaved skull- elongating and turning into a beautiful dark shade of auburn to complement her lightening complexion.

Then the pain stopped.

At least that's what she thought it was called. 'Pain' wasn't taught at her school, but it was the first thing that came to mind.

She lethargically awoke. Her once empty, dark eyes brightened slightly to a dark shade of gray. The girl laid still in her rigid, curled position for several beats, raising a tremulous finger to the trickles of salt water which escaped from an organ she didn't even know existed. She took several deep, rattling breathes, startled at the feel of a heavy thing thumping in her chest. Her skin, now the shade of cream, appeared luminescent in the darkness like the moon in a calm night sky; tiny dots of sweat shimmering back the color of the digits which adorned the void around her. She shakily stood up on wobbly knees, the pain ebbing away to an insistent twinge or sting. The girl panted tiredly, experiencing firsthand what 'pain' was like due to the fading effects of the drug she took with her daily supplements, which restricted her emotions and senses. If it wasn't for her instructor telling her graduating class earlier that Alternate Reality negated said drug- for all persons were required by law to suppress their emotions- she would've panicked.

Well, she thought, she would've panicked if she even knew what 'panicked' meant.

The girl, who somehow ended up a yard away from the popup, stepped up to it with an unknown sensation forming in the pit of her stomach. She shook her head to clear away the webs of the feeling called 'pain.' Her body felt tense and the girl felt like running away from the popup, but as to why she couldn't say. The sensation in her stomach infected the rest of her body and numbed it; perspiration collected in the palms of her hands while a frigid prickling attacked the base of her neck. She was frightened by the way her mouth dried up and by the way her pupils dilated fully. The girl faintly wondered if she was coming down with a 'cold,' before a loud _ping_ noise brought her back to her senses and alerted her that new words replaced the old ones on the popup.

_Choosing occupation..._

The girl stared at the stop button, wondering why she felt paralyzed. With much effort, she lifted a trembling finger to it and pressed the button. Her body instinctively shied away when the slot machine slowed to a stop, but relaxed when nothing happened. Opening her eyes, bewildered as to why they were even closed in the first place, she looked at her chosen job; all different kinds of senses, ranging from the swooping feeling in her sternum to the urge to lift up the corners of her lips inundated her panicked brain. Promptly after this, the girl fell backwards, down into the enveloping chasm like a shooting star.

A warm sensation on her face startled the girl awake. Blinking her eyes rapidly, she was... surprised- she believed the word was- to discover that her body no longer ached and, instead of feeling heavy and closed up, she felt happy. Content. Light. So many words she never knew soared like weightless birds in her mind, and somehow, deep in her soul, she knew the reason for this was because of the nullification of the drug. Now she knew why the president implemented this game to stop depressed citizens from committing suicide. She no longer felt empty, or cold, or robotic. She felt like... a name glided to the front of her thoughts and tears streamed down her overjoyed face with no end in sight. But she didn't care, because she felt like a human for the first time in eighteen years.

She felt like Sakura Mikan.


	2. In which Mikan begins her quest

A soft warmth stroked Mikan's face as she slowly sat up in bed. Her gray eyes peered out the window to her left, oddly unsurprised to see only sky blue. In the back of her mind, she knew she was faraway from 'home,' but nevertheless, she felt at peace with herself. She never knew how beautiful Alternate Reality could be. Or should she call this place Omnibus now?

She stared out some more, enjoying the emotions the distinct color evoked in her, and began to mutter them out loud unconsciously.

"Serene, tranquil, friendly, mysterious, deep, bright-"

"Welcome."

Her head spun to the unexpected visitor. She took in the robust man silently, drinking in his cloud white hair and electric blue eyes, his commanding presence, and pale toga. Mikan instinctively turned her whole body, bowing with her forehead touching the plush bed and her fingers lightly grazing the white bedcovers.

_Today must be Reckoning Day in Omnibus. Otherwise, why would the leader of the gods visit me? Which means..._ Mikan mentally sighed. _I'm only eighteen. At least this is better than being a ten-year-old._

Mikan's mind felt lethargic, but it managed to recall the lesson when she was told that each individual who turned eighteen by the summer solstice was subject to a dream that would unlock their constellational power and grant an additional ability; hence, the name 'Reckoning Day.' She also remembered that everyone encountered one of the twelve Gods and the horoscope they were born under in their dreams, but it was uncommon for Zeus to appear.

While Mikan was absorbed in her thoughts, the god examined his charge. He scrutinized the way her dark auburn hair pooled around her slender frame, her olive complexion, and the white dress which she wore; in short, she looked like a typical Arien girl. However, as innocent as she seemed, he could sense in her a great inner strength- a trait which qualified her to be his charge.

"At ease, Sakura Mikan."

Straightening her back respectfully, the gray-eyed girl spoke with a voice that was noticeably lower and scratchier than other women's voices, yet more attractive. "Thank you, Zeus."

"Tell me, young one, why your name is of the Cancerian language and not Arien?"

A memory sprung up, and it felt peculiar to be remembering something that she never experienced before but her body did. Her voice worked automatically, "my father named me."

"Your father was from the north." The old man remained standing in the middle of the bedroom. His stance suggested that he was waiting for someone.

An image of a blond-haired man lying peacefully in a wooden box drifted to the forefront of her mind, then, a twinge of pain that Mikan barely registered. Assuming that this man was her father, Mikan nodded. "Yes, he was a Cancerian." She was becoming uncomfortable with the god's prying. The soft warmth from before had not disappeared since she woke up, and she dimly wondered what it could be.

"And your mother was an Arien. I can see her race in you."

Another image, except it was of a pale woman with dark brown hair and similar gray eyes. An intense emotion spread throughout her chest, causing Mikan to pause and come to the conclusion that she was experiencing 'love' at the moment. Mikan shifted in her kneeling position uneasily, mild curiosity- she believed the word for this burning feeling to be- almost convincing her into asking the mighty leader why he was interested.

"Do not worry, Mikan." He chuckled, causing her to fidget more at the casual use of her first name; for she knew that in Omnibus, all it took was your first name to be cursed. "I was only trying to make you more comfortable. My charges usually panic when they see the leader of the gods appear before them, but I see that you're more distressed by my snooping. I apologize."

Mikan shook her head and sincerely said, "no, I should be thanking you for your kindness. But please, call me by my last name I get extremely.. on edge when you use my formal name."

Zeus inclined his head. "Fair enough, Sakura. I find it extremely wise of you to request this. One's name is, after all, one's most important entity. It should be given out with caution."

Not long after that, a female with long, flowing brown hair and green eyes materialized in the doorway of the bedroom. Her moss green gown trailed on the ground as she hurriedly strode towards an inquisitive Mikan, whose sight was immediately drawn to the pair of horns sticking out of the woman's head.

Mikan bowed once more for politeness towards the constellation spirit, who acknowledged it with a wave of her hand.

"My apologies, Zeus. The last mortal was kicking up a fit over his new power, despite the sedation charm we placed before his arrival." She said in a mildly irritated voice.

_That would explain why my brain feels so..._ Mikan fished for an appropriate word._ Sluggish._ In real life, she would have been angry at being sedated, but all she could feel at the moment was a twinge of annoyance. She nodded to herself privately, pleased with the different emotions she seemed to be experiencing in this body, but none of her emotions were displayed on her face. In fact, Mikan's face had remained neutral throughout the whole ordeal though she did not know it. Not even her annoyance with the pauses she had to take before naming a feeling or emotion shone through.

"You are forgiven, Taurus. Please, proceed with Sakura right now. I can sense her waking up soon." The almighty god sat down neatly on a chair that appeared out of nowhere.

The woman coughed and summoned a roll of parchment paper. Mikan peeked at a section, realizing that it was a list of names with dates next to them.

"Sakura Mikan, date of birth: May 12. Is this correct?"

Her brain rejected this information. "No, I believe I was born on January 1."

Zeus interceded mildly, "Please, call her Sakura, Taurus."

Another wave. "Who told you this?"

Mikan was speechless for a moment, her mind coming up with a blank. "I don't... I don't remember?" She found it strange that she couldn't remember, and found it even more strange that she didn't think of her parents. She assumed that they, of all people, would have told her this information.

Taurus banished the list. "The official record says you were born on May 12, so we'll just stick with it." Strolling up to the eighteen-year-old, her dress rustling like dry leaves, she gently tipped Mikan's head back by the chin. Emerald green and stormy gray gazed at one another unwaveringly, as the girl felt the finger under her chin trail down to the base of her throat. A scorching sear erupted there, and Mikan intuitively knew that she was being branded with Taurus's sign. She made no effort to cry out, her body unexpectedly not effected by the pain, but it did make her thoughts fly away.

"Under the Contract of the Twelve Constellations, I, Taurus, hereby claim Sakura Mikan as a member of the Taurus Clan. Out of the four elementals, I bestow onto you the power of Earth; may you use it steadfastly, for it will grow to rival that of the cardinals the more you nourish and nurture it.

"As for the rules of the Contract, there are only four. The first of them is to be wary of the children who fall under the Houses of Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius, for they posses the power of fire. Be mindful of the children of the Houses of Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces, for they control the power of water. Be kind to the children belonging to the Houses of Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius, for they possess the power of the winds. And most of all, be loyal to the children of Virgo and Capricorn and Taurus, for they are your kin and share you power of the earth.

"In addition, protocol dictates that I must inform you about the three different natures of power. There are the cardinals, who are the strongest, but the price that comes with this great power is their life; the more cardinals use their power, the more their lives decrease. Then there are the fixed, who come in second power-wise, yet the more one uses their ability, the more powerful it gets; this is what you are, Sakura. And lastly, there are the mutables, who have the least power; however, their lives lengthen as a result."

"Though there is a way for you to change the nature of your power."

Mikan's face remained expressionless, but by the way her back straightened, one could tell that her attention was fully caught. Neither her lessons from school nor her memories of Omnibus said anything about this.

"If you lose your virginity to a man who is not your soul mate, the nature of your power will change. Whether it will turn into a cardinal or a mutable is up to the fates. If your virginity is taken forcibly, you will lose your powers. Therefore, I advise you to exercise caution from now on, since you are untouched."

As a passing thought, Mikan applauded the complexity of _Alternate Reality_. Everything was so real, yet she knew that everything was created by the computer back in her society. It even accounted for trivial, primitive things such as one's virginity and 'soul mates.'

"How do I know who's my 'soul mate'?" Mikan inquired. She found it pointless to fall in love with another individual, since he was going to die in the end anyway. And did love really exist? Isn't it just one's hormones?

Chuckling, Zeus replied, "you do not need to worry about this, Sakura."

There was a moment of pause. And with a grand sweep of his toga, he stood up regally, fully unleashing his commanding aura. "Now," he loomed over her but she did not cower. "Do you wish to receive an extra gift or are you satisfied with the one?"

Cautiously, she asked, "what if I said I was satisfied?"

"Then you will wake up, and you will not be my charge."

"What if I wished for an extra gift?"

"Then I will tell you the price for receiving it and you will come under my protection. After hearing the price, you will get to choose to either accept the deal or reject it, once more."

Mikan hesitated. _Say yes_, a whisper at the back of her mind nudged. "Yes. Tell me your fee."

"The price," the god turned solemn, "is your ability to see your mother."

The heavy object in Mikan's chest pounded against its cavity erratically and the areas underneath her eyes burned as terribly as her tattoo. The back of her throat seemed to be balling up in pain, yet her face betrayed nothing.

"She visits you in your sleep, no? If I remember correctly, someone exiled your mother to the spirit world."

_Do it, accept it_, one voice persuaded. _But what about Mom? I will never be able to see her again, she will be lost in the spiritual plane,_ another warbled furiously. _With a price this big, the ability will allow you to complete your mission easily and speedily. That's what you want, isn't it?_ The first voice coaxed._ To become an official citizen of your home. You don't belong here, Number 110507._

This last sentence made up Mikan's mind. "I accept your price."

An enormous blast of white light blinded everything in her vision, but the old man who stood before her. His blue eyes blazed as he began, "I, Zeus, Leader of the Twelve Gods, hereby claim Sakura Mikan as my charge, who has proven her worthiness by agreeing to my price unconditionally. For that I shall reward her courage with more than one gift. The first, I bequeath to her the power of nullification. The second, I bequeath to her the power of-"

Mikan sat up in bed so abruptly her back cracked audibly. She looked out the window and was both relieved and disappointed to see the familiar vegetable garden and the outskirts of town. Scrambling up from her futon, she strode right up to her full-length mirror and lightly tugged down the collar of her lavender yukata. There, lightly engraved, was a circle with two lines curving out from the top. Mikan absentmindedly traced the symbol.

Several impatient knocks informed Mikan of what interrupted her dream; she slightly scowled, extremely... _what was the word? Ah-_ disgruntled. Turning away from the mirror, Mikan located the source of the racket and yanked the door open; noises of a bustling plaza seeped in and the incessant tinkles of bells rang through the air.

A young Arien male who looked to be about Mikan's age burst in through the door.

Automatically she greeted, "hey, Pollux." Recollections of her closest friend melded with her current self and the stranger no longer was a stranger to her. The sense of camaraderie she felt towards him was alien to Mikan; it was similar to 'love' but somehow different.

"Sakura, Sakura, we're adults now!" He bounced up and down excitedly, gray eyes dancing merrily. "I got Apollo, and look!" Pollux pointed down to his zori-clad feet and showed off the symbol of Pisces. It had two parallel curves and a line that ran perpendicularly to them. "Cool right?"

Before she could say anything, Pollux continued.

"And check this out. Now you see the it." He referred to the fresh gash on his right hand by waving it in her face, followed by him blowing on it softly. The skin blended together and sealed the bleeding cut instantly. "Now you don't."

"So not only are you a fixed water user, but you can heal, too." Mikan admired. "You're going to live a long life, Pollux. I'm glad." A hint of a smile traced her lips.

Pollux gasped in mock surprise. "Why, I do believe this is the first time I've ever seen your face move! Is it finally the end of the world?" He laughed uproariously at his joke.

A gust of air slipped into the room, and its presence caused the girl to stand in front of the coffee-haired boy protectively. He immediately fell silent.

"Good morning, citizens of Kawaguchi, town of the land of Ariesa. I congratulate our new citizens on your recently acquired independence." There was a break, and Mikan could only assume that she was supposed to thank the messenger, if the cheers outside were any indication.

She did not.

Once the applause died down, the gust continued. "However, I have come with bad and good tidings from the central palace. First, for the bad news, I must notify all of you that the King of Omnibus is dead."

Collective gasps and murmurings sounded from the town plaza outside, as Pollux sank to the floor with a pasty face.

Something fluttered in the pit of Mikan's stomach; she comprehended that her body was eager, but for what she did not know.

"Second, due to King Orion's untimely death and lack of heir to the throne, the law states that Omnibus must hold a competition for the crown. We, the king's counselors, have come to the consensus to hold three rounds- for those interested in participating, here is the primary round.

"We request the participants to gather twelve symbols of the constellation spirits and bring them to the palace. Do not fret, for we have made multiple copies of each symbol to ensure that seventy-two contestants may move on to the next round. You may use any method, and you may choose to either ally yourself with others or to work alone. The symbols will be spread throughout the land in a moment. That is all. I bid you good luck."

The breeze scattered, leaving an unmoving Mikan and Pollux.

_This is it. This is the quest I have to fulfill._ The eagerness she felt before was clear now; her body was unconsciously anticipating the delivery of her quest. Mikan realized that she must set off right away, but didn't. Instead, she looked down into the gaze of the pale boy.

"You're going to do it, aren't you." Pollux stated sadly.

Mikan remained still.

"Well, I know how stubborn you can be." He stood up from the floor and dusted off the bottom of his dragonfly yukata. "So I'll help you pack for your trip and I'll watch over the apothecary."

A vision of a quaint store entered her mind. _Apothecary- a store that sells medicine._ At least she now knew what the computer chose for her occupation. Mikan discovered that her brain contained endless amounts of information about herbs, which she will soon discover to be invaluable information.

"Oh, and don't forget to say good bye to Astaria." Pollux warned.

_Astaria is the keeper of the bakery across the street. She's going to give birth any day now_, she subconsciously thought.

They wordlessly moved at the same time, Pollux to the kitchen and Mikan to her bedroom. She passed by a window in the hallway, halting for a moment at the sight.

The window, which hung directly over the town plaza, revealed a crowd who gaped at something in the sky. Looking upwards, Mikan spotted an item falling towards the town. _Is that a shooting star?_

The object approached closer and closer, comprehension dawning on Mikan. It wasn't a shooting star, but rather...

"The symbol."

"Sorry, what was that?" Pollux came up behind her with a heavily laden bundle of cloth. "Here's your provisions, by the way. I put in some medicinal herbs just in case and your savings. Also-" His complexion became ghastly as he prodded the stock-still girl next to him. "Sakura, I think we should move." His prods became insistent. "That thing is going to hit the house, Sakura!"

But she refused to budge. _Let it fall here. Please, let it fall here_, she prayed.

It was now close enough to discern where it would fall, and luckily enough its trajectory aimed right at Mikan. She thought quickly, while some of the crowd came to their senses and started running after the falling symbol with the intent of catching it no matter what, which inevitably led to several skirmishes. _Hurry, think fast. How can I catch it before the others?_ She whipped her head around frantically, accidentally knocking the bag out of Pollux's hands. A couple of thin, tan roots fell out onto the floor. _Valerian root_, her mind thought, before giving Mikan the epiphany she direly needed.

Acting purely on impulse and adrenaline, the gray-eyed female dashed into the kitchen, snatched up two black sachets, and hurtled back. She flung the satchel to the hyperventilating boy and opened the window, instructing Pollux, "spread the root powder on my go."

The skirmishes had ended by then, and Mikan grimly noted that the losers were left to bleed out on the ground. Fast approaching were the winners with maniacal gleams in their eyes.

And to think that these people used to be her fellow peers.

When they were a meter away, Mikan shouted, "now!" And the two of them ripped open the packets and poured the powdered contents onto the incoming horde. Distributing amongst the crazed individuals, the powder caused half of them to collapse onto the ground asleep. The rest halted in their steps with baffled expressions, but it was the loud noise that the plummeting object emitted when it crashed into Mikan's home that reminded them of their mission.

"Get it!"

"The girl has it!"

"Sakura, run!" Pollux rammed into Mikan, who had just reached out a moment ago and was currently holding an aquamarine crystal in her perspiring hand.

She sprung into action, escaping through the backdoor and running for the outskirts of town.

"After her-"

"She's going to flee outside-"

"Get to the wall before she does!"

Mikan shot around bends and corners, trying her best to lose the furious gaggle of people. Her breathing did not slow as she pumped her legs and arms for momentum, the wind whipping through her reddish brown hair. A blur of red trickled into her peripherals, causing fear to creep into her stomach. _They're using their abilities. I have to hide somewhere in the woods_. She passed through the gates successfully. The jeers sounded fainter, but she continued sprinting into the safe cover of the forest.

Her subconscious led her farther into the trees, the aftereffects of being in fight-or-flight mode affecting her nimble body, until she finally stumbled upon a clearing one hour later. In the middle sat a charming cottage, which appeared to be unoccupied, and her feet instinctively directed Mikan towards it.

_Please let this place be unlocked. Please don't let any of the townspeople find me._

She opted for the side window, rather than the front door, and was relieved to find it unlatched. Shakily clambering into the dark house, Mikan crumpled onto the hardwood floor. She unfurled her trembling fist, the light blue crystal with Aries's symbol drawn on it winking up at her innocently, as the sunlight drifted into the dusty living room. She also discovered that she had managed to tote Pollux's pack with her, and untied the knot which kept it together.

The contents of the pack consisted of a few rice cakes, some pickled vegetables and dried fish, numerous herbs, a handful of coins, and a fan. Mikan nearly laughed out of delight at this last item, thanking Pollux profusely in her head, for the fan was actually rigged with sharp razors at the top of it and a pointed tip at the bottom.

Darkness clouded the edges of her vision- she succumbed to it, feeling oddly safe in the abandoned cottage, and fell unconscious without another thought.

* * *

-Yukata: a lightweight version of a kimono. It is worn during the hot summer months or to bed.

-Zori: straw sandals.

Also, for those of you who are confused, here are the list of races in Omnibus:

-Cancerian (Cansery): northern, blond hair with purple eyes

-Arien (Ariesa): eastern, brown hair and gray eyes

-Libratian (Libran): southern, black hair with hazel eyes

-Caprician (Caprisia): western, red hair and brown eyes


End file.
